2008-2013 Cadillac CTS General Discussion Discussion, Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark in Cadillac CTS Second Generation Forum - 2008-2013; so im looking at getting a cts up in the 100k+ mile range. a 2008 sedan at like 120k+ or ...

Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

so im looking at getting a cts up in the 100k+ mile range. a 2008 sedan at like 120k+ or a wagon at 100k+

so, how does the cts platform fare at those high mileages?
the way i see it, in most cases, cars that are treated poor dont make it to 100k, and by then all of the problems present from the factory have been addressed, so its generally smooth sailing until you get up towards 200k where things start dying from wear.
whereas something like a jag begin to fall to pieces unless you keep on top of it all the time.

is this true for the cts as well? or do problems really start to mount up then?
this is assuming i keep up with regular oil changes (not dropping below 30% oil) and that the previous owner did so as well.

All cars are still beasts and show no signs of dying anytime soon. But yeah, belts were replaced, coolant flushed, fluids changed, motor mounts replaced, a pullet on one, plenty of brakes and tires. Shocks and struts. Batteries

But everyone knows that those parts only have a certain life and need to be replaced as necessary without bitching about it.

Re: Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

Originally Posted by arw1510

There should be plenty of people. The 100k mile topic was covered in a thread not too long ago. But it sounds like you're more concerned with the 200k mile mark.

i just looked that up actually. a bit vague and didn't really answer my question since maybe two people there had a cts over the 100k mark
and easy solution is to get a 2010 with 100k miles. it'll be 18 grand but it'll be unkillable for many years.

in all honesty though i'd rather spend 13 grand on a 110-120k mile car and make sure it has service records + passes a prepurchase inspection

i just looked that up actually. a bit vague and didn't really answer my question since maybe two people there had a cts over the 100k mark
and easy solution is to get a 2010 with 100k miles. it'll be 18 grand but it'll be unkillable for many years.

in all honesty though i'd rather spend 13 grand on a 110-120k mile car and make sure it has service records + passes a prepurchase inspection

Then what's your question? I read it as how is liability when you get to the 200k mark?

And that answer is that the car will definitely make it there, but don't be surprised to have to make necessary repairs when parts reach their designated service life's. And remember that just mileage isn't a good measure. The climate where the car was will drastically effect lives of rubber parts. Bumpier roads means that shocks don't last as long. Etc etc etc

Idk what you're trying to get at, maybe why noone else has bothered to reply

Re: Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

I have a 2008 CTS 3.6 non DI with 132,000 miles I bought last year. I had to put air in the left rear tire... Oh, and a SMALL coolant leak I can't find, so I can't say I have had to fix it yet. That has been it. I have been following the maintenance schedules and kept the fluids full and it seems to be happy. I like buying cars that are 3-4 years old with high miles at greatly reduced prices and getting a repair warranty program to pay for the big ticket repairs. I intend to drive this CTS for 2 or 3 more years. I may replace it a 2012 or 2013 CTS that would be in the $12,000 price range like my 2008 was.

On another note, I did add blue tooth, and a garage door opener and replaced the Windshield washer Fluid Heater that GM had taken out when it was owned by by the previous owner. To that end, this forum has been an invaluable source of information and inspiration.... Good luck on your choice.

Re: Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

2008 Cts rwd direct injection. Will hit 100,000 miles this week.
Things to look for:
Screen/Nav issues. Not going up/down...not working at all
If the wheels are aftermarket...dont do it. Stock is 17 and i went to 20's caused all kinds of suspension issues.
Rain water leaking back right of sunroof? in heavy rain, water comes in and puddles in my passenger side backseat foot well.
Working headlight bulbs.
timing chain issues.
Blocked ac lines causing water under glovebox.

These are all the issues i have had in my last 3 years of ownership.

The car itself runs great. Never had any really bad issues with car, other than timing chain...but was covered by warranty.

Re: Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

Hey Joe

My 08 AWD has 132,000 on it. This is a tough call because there are so many variables. At best you are rolling dice. If the car has some documented history that's a wonderful thing. I learned the hard way with Carfax I will never trust them again; long story. Things that are huge are oil usage. If you can test drive it for two weeks, see how much oil you are using, if its more than a half quart forget it. Make sure the timing chain has been changed and hopefully not long ago. Suspension issues, vibrations, road noise, pulling and tire shake. Leaks and dampness, like sunroof and trunk that are well documented for being a nightmare. Do your homework and best of luck.

Re: Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

Assuming you finance a car: spending more up front for low miles (warranty) translates into a known monthly expense which can be worked into a budget. The alternative is less $ but a major repair is unpredictable and unwelcome.
An additional $100 a month is easier to take than 2 out of the blue $1500 repair invoices . JMO

Re: Reliability past the 100,000 mile mark

Originally Posted by 99flhr

Assuming you finance a car: spending more up front for low miles (warranty) translates into a known monthly expense which can be worked into a budget. The alternative is less $ but a major repair is unpredictable and unwelcome.
An additional $100 a month is easier to take than 2 out of the blue $1500 repair invoices . JMO

meh, i'm not quite so paralyzed about out of the blue big ticket repairs. if i was i'd just get a honda.
from what i've been seeing, as long as the proper maintenance was done and the oil was kept above 30% most of the time, there isn't much to go wrong on a 08 cts....in terms of the drivetrain at least.

and if i wanted to spend more, i'd spring another 4 grand for a 2010 CTS wagon at about 100k miles. the '10 cts' were noticeably sturdier...plus its a #swagon.